India, led by Jyoti Singh, will face Namibia in their opening match
Expanded 24-team World Cup has been divided into six pools
India's best performance came in 2013, when they claimed the bronze medal
The Indian junior women’s hockey team is set to begin its campaign at the FIH Junior Women’s World Cup Santiago 2025, which gets underway on 1 December at the Centro Deportivo de Hockey Cesped, Estadio Nacional, Chile. Watch the hockey tournament live.
India, led by captain Jyoti Singh, will face Namibia in their opening match. The two sides have not met in any recent FIH-sanctioned event, making the contest an intriguing start as India look to settle early nerves in the prestigious global tournament.
The team arrived in Santiago a week in advance to acclimatise to the conditions and fine-tune preparations ahead of the competition. This edition is historic, as the tournament features 24 teams for the first time, an expansion from the 16-team format used until 2023.
Speaking about the team’s readiness, skipper Jyoti said, “We reached a week early to begin our preparations. The team has adjusted well to the local conditions, and the morale is high. Our first match is against Namibia, and we want to build momentum from the very start.
"The group has been training with great intensity, and every player is eager to execute the plans we’ve worked on. We are fully focused on taking it one match at a time and delivering our best hockey throughout the tournament.”
This will be India’s seventh appearance at the Junior Women’s Hockey World Cup. Their best performance came in 2013, when the team defeated England in a thrilling penalty shootout to claim the bronze medal.
FIH Junior Women’s Hockey World Cup 2025: Format
The expanded 24-team World Cup has been divided into six pools. Pool A features hosts Chile alongside Japan, Malaysia and the Netherlands. Pool B includes Argentina, Belgium, Wales and Zimbabwe, while Pool C comprises Germany, India, Ireland and Namibia. Pool D brings together Austria, the People’s Republic of China, England and South Africa. In Pool E, Australia, Canada, Scotland and Spain will compete, and Pool F consists of New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, the USA and Uruguay.
FIH Junior Women’s Hockey World Cup 2025: Schedule
After their opener against Namibia on Monday (December 1), India will face Germany on Wednesday, followed by Ireland on Friday in their final pool-stage match. The quarter-finals are slated for December 8, followed by the semi-finals on December 12 and the final on December 14.
FIH Junior Women’s Hockey World Cup 2025: Live Streaming Info
The FIH Junior Women’s Hockey World Cup 2025 will be live streamed on the JioHotstar app and website in India. It will be telecast on the Star Sports Network TV channels in the country.
FIH Junior Women’s Hockey World Cup 2025: India Squad
Goalkeepers: Nidhi, Engil Harsha Rani Minz
Defenders: Manisha, Lalthanlualangi, Sakshi Shukla, Puja Sahoo, Nandini
Midfielders: Sakshi Rana, Ishika, Sunelita Toppo, Jyoti Singh (captain), Khaidem Shileima Chanu, Binima Dhan
Forwards: Sonam, Purnima Yadav, Kanika Siwach, Hina Bano, Sukhveer Kaur
Alternates: Priyanka Yadav, Parwati Topno
